


Shadows From A Broken Mirror

by keroscene



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Light Angst, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-18 13:08:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17581451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keroscene/pseuds/keroscene
Summary: Not all things are meant to last forever.





	1. Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Loneliness is the worst feeling you could ever have.

The first thing Ink felt when he came to was a sudden void of emptiness. 

Now, it wasn't quite unusual for him to get these sudden surges of emotions; he'd think of it as something like his body remembering what it was feeling the moment before he pulled his soul apart. Or, at least something like that. These feelings of blankness would come and go as they pleased, though episodes usually didn't last longer than 5 minutes.

Although he can't feel any emotion, Ink still hated these episodes of loneliness with a burning passion. They made him feel vulnerable, and like there was a situation that was just too far out of his reach. He despised the emptiness. Sometimes Ink wished he had a soul again, so he wouldn't have to go through the pain of being a soulless, yet immortal being.

Other than these dreaded feelings of emptiness, Ink didn't really have much else that bothered him. Even Error's consistency of destroying AU's was plastered way below these episodes on Ink's list of annoyances. Sometimes, Ink wondered if Error even felt the same emptiness he did. He wondered if these feelings were what drove Error to be who he is at this moment in time.

Because surely, he'd also go mad if he was stuck in the same place every day, with nothing else to retreat to but the screaming blank emptiness inside him. He'd be insane; though who's to say he wasn't already.

Being an immortal borderline-god didn't always have its perks. On some days he'd just wake up and go back to sleep, since that was really the only thing he could do if Error wasn't screwing off somewhere. On other days, if he wanted to get a kick out of his shameful existence, he'd down a few vials and go visit a few different alternate universes and timelines just for the fun of it. Sometimes he'd meet with a few of his so called “friends,” who'd be strolling by his area of choice. Ink always wondered whether or not he could actually call them friends, considering he has no soul to form bonds or feel anything for someone.

Ink often wished that there was some way for him to actually die. It isn't that he wasn't happy for the surviving chance he was given, and the fact that he'd been blessed with an important job; no, he was just curious. He was curious about how it felt to die. After watching over all of the timelines and all of the deaths that occurred within them, he wondered what the last moments of those monsters and humans felt like. Ink could do anything, could also feel anything with the help of his vials, but there was always that one thing he could never be able to feel; death.

Maybe that was why it intrigued him so much. People will get curious about things they don't know about. However, Ink didn't have a soul, so the understanding of curiosity was foreign to him without his vials.

In a way, all of these things most likely contributed to the emptiness he could feel burning within.

Though he's both emotionless and soulless, sometimes he'd feel a bit jealous when he'd watch over those who had everything. Friends, family, homes, achievements; many sorts of those things were all foreign to him. Maybe it was the effect of the vials that caused him to feel this way, maybe it wasn't. After all, once you're taking a drug for so long, it's effects become more or less combined with your very being. And Ink was very, very dependant on those vials to get through his life.

Without them, there would be no creativity, and there most certainly wouldn't be anyone protecting the universes. He'd just be an emotionless frame of a skeleton, floating off around the void for the rest of eternity.

A deep sense of despair often flooded through Ink whenever he thought about that. So, Ink's thoughts rambled on, desperate to keep his attention directed away from the burning pain he felt inside. It was like he had phantom pain of a soul being there. Perhaps that is why he has these episodes.

Ink waited and waited on, but the feeling wouldn't go away. It was now getting more annoying than anything else, like a prick stuck in his side. Ink could choose to block out the feeling, or he could try overdosing on one of his vials and find out what happens. That was definitely something he'd never even thought to try before.

Well, if it was something new, he should do it. Besides, it wasn't like anything would kill him, anyways.

So, Ink sat up. He placed his hand over the yellow vial strapped to his chest, and gently unwrapped it. It plopped into his skeletal hands with a thuck, and gleamed amongst all of the white and yellow in the doodle sphere. He thought it was quite a pretty color, once he observed it more closely. Ink stuck his thumb over the cap to flick it off. However, something in him sparked before he was even able to make a single move.

_You don't want this._

Ink stopped moving, and his eyes changed to resemble question marks as he blinked. Did he just think that now? And, if so, who was he to resist a healthy breakfast of happy emotions? It seemed very uncharacteristic for him. Ink went to go screw off the cap again, but he still stopped before he managed to pull it off.

What was it that was holding him back?

He wanted to feel alive again. Ink was tired of being this scrawny and emotionless being already. He wanted to go back to the Ink that everybody knew him as. And, in order to do that, he just needed to screw the cap off of his yellow vial. Seriously though, what was holding him back? Was it guilt?

...No, it couldn't have been that. He hadn't drank from his blue vial in centuries.

Ink sighed and resorted to sticking the vial back in its container, and it fell back into place over his chest. He wondered what would happen if he just stopped drinking his vials period. Once a few seconds passed, he stood up and stretched, and with a snap of his fingers, had his brown scarf wrapped around his neck and his paintbrush seated safely on his back.

Maybe he'd go waste his time pissing off Error, at least until he's worked up the courage to drink from his little fountain of happiness. The emptiness might go away if he distracted himself with someone who could feel.

Right. That bastard Error was lucky; at least he didn't have every last part of his known being stripped away from him.

Ink sighed yet again, and teleported to Outertale.


	2. Past Noon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink and Error have an encounter. It goes exactly as you'd think it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in about 2 hours, so sorry if it's kinda bland. But hey, 1,500+ words written for this chapter is pretty good for me.

Ink could partially understand why Error liked Outertale so much.

It was just so beautiful; all of the stars crowding around the sky, and just the general sense of space all around him. Indeed, such a perfect place to get some time alone. Ink loved it too, though it wasn’t the most beautiful universe he’d ever seen.

Ink looked down at the flooring of moon rock below him. It sparkled quite prettily, almost like snow you’d see in Snowdin. Ink would say he’d like to stare at the ground forever as the glittery scenery enchanted him; however, he had better things to do. Things like finding Error, for example.

He didn’t even know why he’d gone out to search for the latter. Usually, any greeting between the two would result in something more or less like a bloody battle. Ink blamed it on the fact that he’d gotten quite bored at the time; perhaps battling his rival would be a better pass time than staring up into a blank void. The creators were awfully inactive these days, and it really was taking a toll on Ink’s deriving sanity for him to consider bugging  _Error_  of all people.

A little bit of the emptiness boiling inside him lifted once he had teleported to Outertale. Maybe that was one of the issues; the fact that he hadn’t even left the Doodlesphere in quite some time. Sure he was out every once in a while to prevent Error from doing any major damage to the Alternate Universes, but he didn’t even bother to help with the minority versions of the timelines. There were too many of them, and even Ink could agree for Error to slowly weed out a couple small ones. It kept both of them slightly sane, in some way.

Speaking of Error, Ink couldn’t sense any trace of the black-boned skeleton anywhere. He wasn’t surprised though, it was quite early for Error’s internal clock to be up and running. Ink figured he’d sit around and wait for the other skeleton, and if he took to long, he’d go screw around in some other universe. Maybe if he’d wait long enough, sometime soon he’d be helping a creator create a new universe. He just really needed something to keep him on his tail.

Ink sat down. His leg bounced heedfully against the ground, probing his distraction with some kind of movement. He spent a few minutes just sitting down on the floor, staring off into the deep depths of space. He watched as the stars twinkled across the night sky, providing him with some sort of show. Far off in the distance Ink could see monster children prowling around the universe, playing with each other. Ink was far off from their sight of view though, so he was spared from awkward conversations yet again.

However, there was one person he was not gifted with the glory of ignoring. Ink could feel said person, or rather skeleton, walking not too far behind him. He guessed that Error couldn’t see nor sense him, as for the destroyer had yet to whip out his strings and cuss Ink off into hell. Maybe Ink was being quite selfish when he felt grateful for that blessing. His sense of relaxation was only short-lived, however, when the black-boned skeleton suddenly caught a glimpse of his form as he was strutting up the hill.

Ink watched with a grin as Error stopped mumbling to himself. The other skeleton’s face formed from one of confusion to another that purely screamed annoyed. Ink wasn’t blaming him; he would also be pretty pissed off if Error would’ve randomly shown up in the Doodlesphere. Glitches danced around Error’s body as he took a step back, posing in a defense ready for fighting.

****“I-Ink! What are you doing here?!”** **

Ink giggled as he watched Error’s expression turn more pissed off by the second.

“Nice to see you too, Glitchy.”

Error growled as he approached Ink; the latter standing up to face his rival. The two were both around the same height, although Error was more or less about a few centimeters taller. Error’s blue scarf dragged behind him as he made his way over to Ink, who stood at full height with his hands planted on his hips. There was a little bit of sass that left Ink’s form, and he had a cat like grin topping off his face. Error was nonetheless the opposite; he was beyond annoyed at this point, and his expression was curved down into an angry frown. He was both mad and slightly embarrassed at Ink’s intrusion into his hiding place. Silence was spread out between the two, right before Error spoke once again.

****“Get out.”** **

“That’s no way to greet your old-“

****“ _Now_ , Ink. I’m not in the mood for your games.”** **

Ink smirked as he made no move to leave. He could already feel some form of adrenaline filling through his bones, as the emptiness he felt earlier slowly left. Ah, what the wonders of bothering Error did to his non-existent soul. Ink felt better already. So, he made the choice to keep pushing past the destroyer’s boundaries.

“Nope. You may not be, but I’m in the mood for my own games right now.”

Another growl spun its way through Error’s voice, and his glitches multiplied around his body. He was getting worked up quite fast. In fact, this might be the quickest Ink had ever taken to piss off Error. To be honest, Ink found it quite hilarious. Error never ceased to amaze him.

****“…Look, if you came here looking for a fight, seriously, get out. I don’t need you pestering me right now, you pathetic little shit.”** **

“Ouch. How hurtful, glitch. Hit me right in the soul.”

Error rolled his eyes at Ink’s comment and pushed right past him, opting to ignore the other skeleton since he obviously wasn’t budging.

“Oh c’mon Error; don’t be like that.”

****“Will you ever _shut up_  for two damn minutes?”** **

Ink was thrown onto the ground as Error sent a bone flying past his direction. He landed on his back with an  _oof_ , and groaned; although he really couldn’t feel pain without his vials, it was fun to imitate those who did. After a few seconds passed, Ink stood up and dusted himself off. He looked around for the other skeleton, only to find that Error must’ve teleported elsewhere.

“Huh. Rude.”

He sighed as the adrenaline slowly left his body, making way for the sullen emptiness inside. Ink was really getting tired of this, of being forced to wait around for something to happen. Maybe if he started running now, he’d be able to catch up to wherever Error wandered off to.

And run was exactly what he did.

Ink grinned and dashed up the hills of Outertale, his brown scarf flowing behind him. The ground beneath him felt so lightweight; though, that was to be expected from the fact this AU was based in space. Even though Ink was practically standing on weightless floor every second he was in the Doodlesphere, he felt as if he needed to savor this moment.

So, he ran around in the direction he could sense Error was in. He jumped over rocks in his pathway, and flipped in the air once just to show off. Ink had never spent much time in Outertale before, usually only to screw around with Error or stop him from destroying the Universe. Maybe he’d ought to also find a spot to hang around here.

Ink could see Error close in his field of vision. The black-boned skeleton was perched right on top of a rock, fiddling with the helm of his scarf. He looked slightly less pissed off than before, although there was still a reminiscence of a frown in his expression. Only a few glitches littered among his body.

Ha. The glitch thought that he was safe from Ink. Oh, how wrong he definitely was.

Ink grinned from the atmosphere above, slowly prowling over to the spot Error resided at. He watched the destroyer like he was his prey; with Ink’s eyes roaming over every single movement he made. He was getting quite closer now, approaching from the side of the rock in an attempt to spook the other skeleton a little bit. In fact, Ink was quite surprised by how the other skeleton hadn’t noticed him yet.

Error’s eyes remained focused on his scarf as he fiddled with it, seemingly tying some blue string into a tear with his fingers. There was a focused expression now plastered on his face, every trace of him ever being angry now faded away.

Ink smirked and peered up from his hiding place, getting ready to pounce. Though, before he managed to make a move…

****“I know you’re there, Ink. Go away.”** **

He knew Error was just a little too quiet. Ink jumped back a little but made no move to stop his plan from going into action. He jumped up from the ground and onto the rock above, almost startling Error off of the place he was sitting on.

****“Ow- what the hell, Ink?!”****  Error let go of the scarf that he was tangling around in his fingers, and it fluttered back down onto his chest.

Ink sighed and laughed as he watched the other skeleton try to regain his composure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my only emotion consists of the eas alert tone ear rape played on loop


	3. Enemies (Or So Call It...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ink really likes to tick off Error.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, TWO whole chapters in one day??? that's a first
> 
> anyways this might seem a little rushed but uh the next chapter is gonna be super long, beating this one by a landslide
> 
> also if anything seems confusing this chapter blame it on my 12am writing skills and the fact that i only betad it once

The glitches around Error’s body multiplied by the second. Whatever anger that had left his body earlier was now returning.

Ink watched with a grin plastered on his face as the destroyer glared at him. A fake sense of joy was making its way throughout his body the longer he chose to irritate the other skeleton; it was like his own way of having fun. Ink sometimes wondered where this sudden sense of happiness could come from if he didn’t have a soul, and his response was always the same: he’s too hooked on those vials. Though, that issue was always pushed to the back of his small memory to deal with later. That is, if he didn’t forget about it.

Going back to the situation at hand, it seemed like Error was making no move to fight off Ink. This was quite strange for such a short-tempered skeleton like him, so Ink immediately had a feeling that the destroyer was hiding something; something that Ink could probably use against him in the near future. Moments like these were quite rare, the only times Ink had ever caught Error in a vulnerable state like this were about one or two. This day was just getting better by the second.

****“Wipe that grin off of your face!”** **

Error’s commentary, however, had the very opposite effect on Ink. The latter giggled and smirked wider, looking straight into Error’s eyes. He decided to keep provoking him.

“Nah.”

 ** **“Why are you even here? Go away, for the last time!”****  Error stood up, slightly slipping on the uneven surface of the rock.

“I’m bored. Can’t a guy bug his best pal every once in a while?”

****“Piss off, Ink. I’m not your friend.”** **

“Pfft. You wish.”

Error groaned and rolled his eyes again.  ** **“No, I definitely do not.”****

Ink sighed and wiped the grin off of his face. He sat back down on the rock the two of them were perched onto and made himself comfortable. Meanwhile, Error was slowly inching his way away from the other skeleton, uncomfortable written all over his expression. Ink could spot him moving away from the corner of his eye.

“Hm? Where’re you going?”

****“Away from you.”** **

“I know that, dumbass.”

Error looked a little taken aback by Ink’s small insult, but he stopped moving. A sigh left his mouth as he sat back down on the rock, opting to once again fiddle with his scarf. There was now an even larger tear on it than before.

****“…Why are you really here?”** **

“I’m bored.”

****“No, tell me the real reason.”** **

Ink turned his glance toward Error and glared at him. “That is the real reason.”

 ** **“Either you are telling the truth or I’ve finally lost it.”****  Error’s eyes were narrowed down at Ink. The glitches that usually danced around his body finally started to wear down, and he slumped down into a confused posture.

“Why do you say that, pal?”

Error sighed in annoyance.  ** **“First off, don’t call me that,”****  His eyes fixated somewhere else among the cosmos of Outertale ** **. “Second of all, you, of all people? Ink, the guy who’s been guarding the multiverse for god knows how long is _bored?_ ”****

“I know, it happens to the best of us.”

No exchanging of words happened after Ink spoke. The two just sat there in silence, not one of them even bothering to make a comment. Error was still slightly uncomfortable with the current predicament, seeing how the guy he’d spent half of his life trying to kill is sitting casually next to him. Ink, however, was not bothered at all. At this point in his life nothing really creeped him out, or really, nothing  _could_  creep him out; without his vials, he was as good as emotionless.

An interesting question suddenly made its way into Ink’s train of thought. Seeing as how interesting their silent conversation was getting, he decided to blurt it out.

“…Hey, Error?”

The latter didn’t bother to look back at Ink, so he just stared out into space as he responded.  ** **“What is it now?”****

“If I help creators to create universes, didn’t I technically help in creating you?”

An even greater silence washed over the two of them as Error froze up. His shoulders went stiff for a mere second, right before he burst out laughing. He laid down on the rock and placed his arm over his chest, grinning. Ink looked a little confused, but not really surprised at the destroyer's reaction.

****“That is _the_  most hilarious thing you’ve ever said in your pathetic life.”** **

“I’m serious, Error. Just think about it for a second.”

Error laughed even harder. This conversation was seriously not going in the way Ink intended, but at least it was going somewhere. Ink watched as the destroyer sat back up and looked him in the eyes yet again.

****“I think I’d rather die than be created by you.”** **

“ _Ouch_. You’re rather hurtful today, aren’t you?”

Error groaned as he stopped laughing. He turned his sight away from Ink and back into the luscious night sky that lay before the two of them.

“…There’s still one thing I’m curious about, Error.”

Many glitches that had previously circled around Error were now returning. The latter chose to ignore Ink’s question in hopes of him leaving him alone, however, the silence had the opposite effect on said skeleton. Ink sighed and stood up, brushing his hands down his shorts to wipe off any dirt residue.

“What I want to know-“

He was really overstepping Error’s boundaries now.

“-is why you have yet to lay a single finger on me.”

Every part of Error froze up yet again, and he went stiff. He slowly turned his head up to look at Ink. An emotionless, yet angry expression was plastered across his face.

****“So, you did come here to fight after all.”** **

It took Ink a few seconds to process that Error had misunderstood what he said. By the time he was ready to reply, Error had already stood up and was currently staring him down like he was some sort of prey.

“That’s not what I meant, Err-“ Too late. There was already a bone flying towards his face.

Ink ducked down right as the bone was about to hit his forehead. He looked back up at Error and put his hands in front of his chest, trying to signal some sort of peace between them.

“C’mon, man. I really don’t want to fight you right now.”

****“Ink. I know that “I’m bored” excuse is bullshit. You’re never bored, and you never will be.”** **

Error pushed Ink off of the rock, leading him to hit the cold, hard ground. Ink groaned as his back made contact with the surface; though the brush he had strapped to his back took most of his fall. Ink immediately stood back up and backed away from Error a little bit.

“You know, fighting me is really pointless. I can’t die. So, why don’t you just-“

Error jumped down from the platform above, kneeing Ink in the head whilst doing so. He watched as the latter stumbled backward a little, though as quick as it was he regained his posture. Ink reached behind his back, aiming to pull his giant paintbrush out of its laces.

****“I don’t care. You’re pissing me off.”** **

“Fair point.”

Ink finally freed his brush from its prison and held it defensively in front of his body. The tip of it was poised at Error, ready to strike whenever the skeleton decided to make a move. Said move came almost immediately. A wall full of bones and gaster blasters were lined up behind Ink the moment he took a step forward.

“On edge today, aren’t ya’?”

His teasing only led to more attacks being thrown in his direction. Ink dodged them all with ease, as for the threat of death never ran past his skull. Besides, he’d just come back again if he’d ever manage to receive a fatal blow; one of the many perks of not having a soul. He swiped his brush around Error’s general direction, in which the skeleton then dodged the line of paint thrown at him. Ink sighed and moved off to the right as yet another line of bones were thrown at him.

“Gee, Error? Using the same attack? Y’know, now I’m beginning to think that you’re the one who’s bored.”

Ink could just end this attack all with the snap of his fingers. Though, he figured he’d just sit there and savor the moment; not many times has he ever seen Error just this  _bland_  before. Usually, there’d be a lot more light to his attacks and everything else. From Ink’s perspective, it was actually a little more entertaining.

****“Pff. Like you could do any better. All you do is sit around and throw paint at me.”** **

Ink shrugged. “I’m a simple guy. What else would I do?”

Many lines of strings and blasters formed around Ink, creating some interesting type of scenery. Ink jumped up and dodged the majority of Error’s attempts to rid him.

Seriously, this was just pathetic; at this point, he might as well be fighting Error blindfolded. Though, Ink couldn’t deny it; there was some form of pity and confusion surging throughout him. It was safe to say he was just a little concerned for Error.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> errorink content next chapter!! woo

**Author's Note:**

> as you can tell I like to call my interpretation of ink a bitch and also he's more emotionless than feeling so it's lit
> 
> Sorry if there was any mistakes in the chapter, it's like 12am and I didn't beta it😅


End file.
